While the sale of the 255-plus acre Deer Lake property is still shrouded in mystery, with town officials and preservationists mum on the current status of the sale, some good news about land conservation was announced last week. Connecticut Water Company (CWC) has finalized memoranda of agreement (MOAs) with several municipalities, including Killingworth, where ownership of 14.5 acres that is no longer needed for water supply purposes is set to be transferred and the parcel permanently preserved as open space.

“Connecticut Water is pleased to continue our longstanding practice of partnering with municipalities and local land trusts to permanently preserve water company lands that are no longer needed for public water supply purposes,” said CWC President Maureen Westbrook. “Since 2000, more than 1,200 acres of Connecticut Water’s Class III land has been permanently protected as open space reflecting our commitment to environmental stewardship and efforts to make these precious resources available for passive recreation.”

The property is located off of Green Hill Road in Killingworth near along the Hammonasset River and the Madison town line, according to David Gumbart, president of the Killingworth Land and Conservation Trust (KLCT). Though there are no current plans to make the property accessible to the public, the acreage is a critical preservation action that will be beneficial to large swaths of the area ecosystems, said Gumbart.

“This piece property has frontage on the Hammonasset River so it protects an important wetland corridor in town and of course the River is important for Madison, Killingworth and Clinton,” Gumbart said. “The piece is about 14 ½ acres and we were able to purchase the land for less than the fair market value...I would say that the water company has done a great job in alerting towns to these parcels and ensuring that we took the proper steps in the process.”

“We commend Connecticut Water for their commitment to work with these towns and land trusts to forge deals that ensure permanent conservation, public access, and passive recreation, while also providing benefits for the company and its customers,” said Kat Fiedler, staff attorney for Save the Sound. “Without careful consideration, these smaller Class III parcels that are often located on the edges of large tracts of open space may be sold and developed for private use. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.”

Gumbart said the piece is important acquisition due to its proximity to the Hammonasset River and its potential impact it will have downstream.

“Fourteen acres isn’t all that big, but it directly protects the Hammonasset River and its associate riparian corridor. But more broadly, the Hammonasset is considered a ‘near shore’ river for Long Island Sound,” Gumbart said. “It is an important river for water quality and water quantity. Regionally the river is very important and we are excited about this purchase.”

Gumbart said that protection of this ecologically important area was the main goal of the KLCT’s acquisition of the property and due to access safety concerns, the organization is putting off any plans to create a trail system on the property, but that could change as the KLCT evaluates the parcel.

According to a CWC press release, by 2020, CWC had notified 11 Connecticut towns, state agencies, and several private nonprofit land conservation organizations of 21 parcels of land, totaling approximately 470 acres, that could be available for purchase for open space preservation. Four towns and land trusts chose to follow through on purchases. The company has also agreed to consider expanding passive recreation for the public on certain water company lands, under another part of the 2018 agreement with Save the Sound.